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Saturday, March 2, 2013

A taste of Spring

Today was the first nice day of the year, we hit 58 degrees this afternoon! Whitney and I hit the yard this morning intent on making the most of the day before the forecasted storm tonight. Between pruning trees, lighting the burn pile, planting crocuses and hyacinths and finishing a homemade earring display stand, we took a minute to check on the honey bees. I am thrilled to report that all three hives were a buzz with activity and things are looking good. Here is a video of today's activity.

As excited as I am that the bees were up and flying today, we're not out of the woods yet. March is a very hard time for the bees. It is warm enough to fly more regularly, but there is nothing to eat outside the hive. So for that reason I'll keep feeding my candy cakes and when the bloom is a little closer, I'll add protein patties to the hives to inspire brood production.

Overwintering your bee colonies is no easy feat. Ask any bee keeper and you'll hear stories of bees starving, getting sick and dieing or just plain disappearing. That is why today's display from the hives was so exciting.

So while I would not say we've made it through the winter yet, today wearing a tee shirt and watching the bees fly was a real taste of spring.